Egyptian Odyssey (part 3)

Egyptian Odyssey (part 3)

By mid-afternoon, we were exhausted, and ready to check into our hotel. The Old Cataract is a glorious piece of Old World elegance built in 1899. Entering its lobby is a step back to 1920, when one might see archaeologist Howard Carter or mystery author Agatha Christie enjoying tea in the dining room. In fact, portions of Christie’s Death on the Nile are set at the hotel, and it was used in the 1978 film based on the novel. We were given a tour of Winston Churchill’s suite, an extravagant apartment with a private porch overlooking the Nile.

The next day began very early, leaving the Old Cataract before sunrise for the 75-mile drive to the twin temples of Abu Simbel. The façade of the larger temple features four seated figures more than 65 feet tall, and is dedicated to Ra-Harakhty, Ptah and Amun. The smaller temple is dedicated to the goddess Hathor, personified by Nefertari, Ramesses’s most beloved of his many wives.

Like the Temple of Philae, Abu Simbel also was threatened with flooding from Lake Nasir in 1964. A multinational team of archeologists, engineers and skilled heavy equipment operators worked together to dismantle the entire site, cutting it into large blocks averaging 20 tons each. The pieces were then lifted and reassembled more than 200 feet higher and 650 feet back from the shore.

Arriving back in Aswan, we boarded the Nile cruise ship, Farah, bound for Luxor, and spent the afternoon relaxing in the sun on the upper deck.

After three days enjoying a Nile River cruise aboard the Farah, we arrived in Luxor. The city is built upon the site of the ancient city of Thebes, which became the capital of Egypt around 1700 BC. Luxor stretches to both sides of the Nile, including the richest and most famous necropolis in the world.

DAY 8:

THE VALLEY OF THE KINGS Deir El Bahari, one of the most splendid temples in Luxor, lies to the west of the Nile, at the base of a small mountain. It was built around 1500 BC, by Queen Hatshepsut, whom Egyptologists regard to be one of the most successful female pharaohs. She ascended the throne of Egypt in 1478 BC, ruling for 20 years as regent on behalf of Thutmose III, her husband’s infant son by a secondary wife. On the other side of the mountain, further west, lies the Valley of the Kings, the principal burial place of the major royal figures, including Ramesses III.

Egyptian royalty had abandoned pyramids in favor of underground tombs. After the mummified bodies of the pharaohs were laid to rest, the passages were sealed and covered with rock and rubble. With the entrances totally obscured, the pharaohs were confident that their tombs, unlike those of their ancestors, would be safe from thievery. They were mistaken. Almost all of the tombs were pilfered over the centuries, but they still give visitors an idea of the opulence and power of the pharaohs.

The tombs are decorated with scenes from Egyptian mythology, and offer clues as to the beliefs and funerary rituals of the period. Exploration, excavation and conservation continue in the valley, with the discovery of two additional tomb entrances as recently as 2008. To date, the valley is known to contain 63 tombs, ranging in size from a simple pit to a complex tomb with more than 120 chambers. It is best known as the location of the tomb of Tutankhamun (c. 1332–1323 BC).

To be continued…

Osama Rashad Egyptian Tour Guide https://www.journeytoegypt.com/en